Meeting Transparency Act 2025

For the fourth consecutive year, the South Carolina Policy Council (SCPC) has tracked the livestreaming frequency of legislative committee meetings. Since then, several committees have shown increased transparency and consistency, with some achieving perfect records. 

Committees are central to the legislative process, reviewing and amending bills before they reach the full House or Senate. Specializing in specific policy areas, their amendments often face minimal resistance, granting them significant influence over policy outcomes. 

Livestreaming and archiving full recordings of committee meetings empower South Carolinians to actively engage in the legislative process. These tools provide valuable insight into lawmakers’ actions and help the public better understand proposed legislation before it becomes law. With the first half of the 126th General Assembly adjourned, now is an ideal time to review livestreaming results for 2025. 

2025’s top performing committees 

Using records provided by legislative staff, SCPC measured how often each of the House and Senate legislative committees (including subcommittees) streamed during the first year of the 2025-2026 regular session, which ran from January 14 to May 8. 

The following six committees maintained a perfect streaming record in 2025: 

Committee	Chair (during the 126th session)
House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs	Rep. Bill Hixon
House Judiciary	Rep. Weston Newton
House Labor, Commerce and Industry	Rep. Bill Herbkersman
House Ways and Means	Rep. Bruce Bannister
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources	Sen. Wes Climer
Senate Family and Veteran Services	Sen. Tom Young, Jr.

In 2024, the House Ways and Means Committee earned a near-perfect score by streaming 67 of its 68 meetings. In 2025, it improved to a perfect record. This committee, which handles tax and revenue bills and initiates South Carolina’s annual budget, must prioritize transparency. Its Senate counterpart, the Senate Finance Committee, streamed 81% of its meetings in 2025. While this is a significant improvement from streaming just one-third of their meetings in 2024, more progress is needed to match the House. 

The lower end of the results reveals concern. The Senate Banking and Finance Committee, which streamed zero meetings in 2024, streamed only one of its eight meetings in 2025. The Senate Education Committee (streamed eight of 15) and the Senate Transportation Committee (streamed six of ten) are also in need of improvement. 

We acknowledge that external factors, such as limited equipment or legislative staff, may hinder livestreaming. However, the General Assembly controls its own budget and could address these issues through better planning and prioritization. While permanent solutions like installing equipment take time, livestreaming requires only a cellphone or laptop and a secure internet connection in the interim. 

Why livestreaming matters 

Livestreaming and video archives enhance transparency, a vital element of a healthy government. South Carolinians deserve to see how their laws are made, but more importantly, to understand the process so they can hold representatives accountable between elections.  

Committee meetings often host deeper, more technical policy discussions than floor debates. While state law requires meeting minutes, they lack the detail and context that a video provides. Livestreaming gives the public real-time access and ensures there’s a public record of what is said and decided. By ensuring all committee meetings are accessible online in real time, citizens are empowered to hold lawmakers accountable. 

Comparing the numbers over the years 

SCPC has now produced this report for four consecutive years, allowing us to see if lawmakers are trending in the right direction. Here are some noteworthy trends: 

• Six committees maintained perfect records in 2025, up from three in 2024 and two in 2023 

• The average streaming rate of the top five committees in 2024 is 100%, compared to 98.9% in 2024 and 93.6% in 2023 

• The average House committee streaming rate in 2025 is 96% 

• The average Senate committee streaming rate in 2025 is 73% 

One committee worth highlighting is the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, which went from streaming just one of eight meetings in 2024 to a perfect record in 2025. This remarkable improvement sets a strong example for other committees striving to enhance transparency. 

Our recommendation 

SCPC’s goal is for every legislative committee to livestream 100% of their meetings, with those recordings archived and accessible to the public. Although the numbers are trending in the right direction, several committees have plenty of work to do.  

We recommend a two-part strategy:  

1. Lawmakers should assess how existing funds can be reallocated to support better livestreaming for committees needing the most support. Any additional resources should be addressed in the next state budget through a one-time allocation to equip all public meeting rooms with necessary equipment and personnel. This can be implemented quickly to enhance transparency without requiring new legislation.

2. Livestreaming must be required by law. While many committees livestream voluntarily, others do not. Requiring livestreaming for all committee and subcommittee meetings would guarantee equal access for all citizens.

S.C. Rep. Rob Harris has introduced the Meeting Transparency Act in the 2025 session. The bill requires all committee and subcommittee meetings to be accessible online to the public, aligning with SCPC’s 2025-26 Legislative Agenda. Currently under review in the House Judiciary Committee, we urge lawmakers to consider this bill when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.